In this part...
W
e prepare you to take the health-club plunge — or
create the best home gym for your budget and
goals. Chapter 18 explains how to choose the best gym for
you and how to recognize slimy sales tactics; we also
update you on the latest health-club trends and share the
unwritten rules of the gym: what to say, what to wear, and
what to do about that pool of sweat you left on the leg-
press machine. Chapter 19 helps you sort through the wide
range of classes you’re likely to find — from spinning to
kickboxing to circuit training — and also gives you the
lowdown on exercise DVDs and videos, including how to
build a first-rate library, where to get the best deals, and
which instructors to try.
To create your own home gym, take a look at Chapter 20,
which covers the basics: where to shop, how to get a good
deal, and where to put your equipment so you’ll actually
use it, with special sections that focus on cardiovascular
machinery and strength and flexibility equipment. We
even tell you which brands and features to look for and
how to distinguish the quality equipment from the con-
traptions that will collapse the first time you use them.